Building construction



June 27, 1939. LONDON 2,164,138

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed March 5, 195a 2 Shets-Sheet 1 INVENTORBernard London ATT June 27, 1939. B. LONDON BUILDIHNG CONSTRUCTION FiledMarch 5, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Bernard London llnlillliPatented June 27, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONBernard London, New York, N. Y.

Application March 5, 1938, Serial No. 194,052

This invention relates to building construction- 13 Claims.

This application is a continuation in part of my application Serial No.23,369, entitled Building construction, filed May 25,

'One of the objects of this invention is to provide a buildingconstruction, particularly a wall or ceiling-floor construction, or thelike, adapted in which parts of rapid and. ine

xpensive fabrication may be employed. Another object is to provide sucha construction in which sheet metal of the above-mentioned characterwhich is readily adaptable for use in various "parts of a buildingconstruction, such as an outside wall, an inside wall, partition walls,ceilings, flooring, roofing, or the like. Another object is to provide aconstruction in which the parts may be readily and inexpensivelyprefabricated, particularly on a large scale, and thus to bring downwhich the parts are capable o thecost, and in f rapid assembly orinstallation; another object is to carryout this last-mentioned objectin a way which will permit a wide choice or range of selection ofmaterials. Another object is to provide a construction of theabove-mentioned character that is well suited or adaptable to modernmethods of heating, cooling, or conditioning. Other 0 bjects will be inpart obvious or in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements,

arrangements of parts and in the several steps and relation and order ofeach of the same to one or more of the others, all tratively describedherein, and application of which will be ind lowing claims.

as will be illusthe scope of the icated in the fol- In the accompanyingdrawings in which are shown several of the various possible embodimentsof the mechanical features of my invention,

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional wall;

view through a Figure 1 is a perspective view of a spacing andreinforcing element employed in the construction of, Figure 1;

Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 are cross-sectional views of illustrativemodifications or embodiments of 5 my wall construction.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views in the drawings.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 1*, I have there shown certain featuresof construction disclosed in my above-mentioned co-pending applicationSerial No. 23,369; it comprises a plurality of spacer and reinforcingmembers [0, preferably made up of sheet metal and illustratively takingthe form shown in Figure 1 being of any convenient length and, Where thewall is to be a vertical wall, the members I0 may be of a lengthcommensurate with the height of one story or the spacing from floor toceiling. As is better 20 shown in Figure 1 the members 10 are preferablymade of sheet metal of suitable weight.

Each member ID comprises a central strip-like portion ll preferablyimperforate throughout its length and preferably stamped or formed as at25 I2, preferably along its median or center line, to bulge it out ofthe plane of the central portion II and thereby giving it a riborchannel-like section to render the member ID sufficiently strong toresist bending and to function where desired as a column.

At appropriate intervals along its length the member to is cut or slittransversely and the resultant pairs of strap-like members are bentalternately in opposite directions out of the plane 3 of the centralportion ll. Thereby, there are formed pairs l3-l4 of arms directed toone side of the plane of the portion H and pairs of arms l5l6 extendingto the other side of the plane of the portion ll. 40

These various arms, furthermore, preferably extend at such angles to theplane of the central portion It that, when the members ID are assembledin the wall structure, the alined arms I l-16 of one member ID form anangle whose 45 apex or channel is indicated at A while arms l3-|5, alsorespectively alined, form an angle whose apex or trough-like angle isindicated at A the one facing toward the other, and all of themextending along a plane intermediate of the two spaced planes in whichfall the ends of the respective pairs of arms, all for a preferredpurpose later described.

The opposed pairs of arms are adapted to have connected thereto suitablestructural elements or building materials and by way of illustration andas disclosed in my above-mentioned co-pending application, the lattermay take the form of sheet members |'|-|8 which may be of materials likethose disclosed in my above-mentioned application. They may be securedto or interlocked with the arms of the members if), the latter beingappropriately spaced, in any suitable manner and illustratively thevarious arms above-mentioned may be bent adjacent their extreme endportions, as at l9, appropriately inclined to the respective arms andspaced apart to substantially mate with the angles and spacing of theinclined vertical edge faces of dovetail members 20 which are secured orotherwise related in any suitable manner to the members I! and I8 andwhich are spaced therealong commensurately with the spacing of thecolumn-like spacer or core members l0, these dovetail members beinginterenaged with the respective vertically alined spaced arms andthereby the members In, I1 and I8 are mechanically and securely heldtogether and with the members I! and I8, where they take the form ofprefabricated sheet material, held in accurate parallelism and alinementwith each other. All of the above is disclosed in my aforesaid pendingapplication.

According to certain features of my present invention, I provide sheetmembers 2| of appro priate material, illustratively sheet metal, andpreferably of a length commensurate with the length of the members II),but of a width preferably slightly in excess of the spacing between theapexes A A into which the respective vertical edges of the sheet members2| are received and shown in Figure 1, each member 2| being preferablysomewhat bowed or arched, particularly where the wall is to be anoutside wall, the arching being preferably in a direction toward theoutside.

Thereby, the sheet members 2| alternated with the central column-likeportions |l-|2 form a continuous diaphragm or barrier-like meansextending between the outer and inner wall surfacings and preferablyadjacent the median or central plane therebetween; thereby there areformed a preferably continuous or uninterrupted space OS to one side ofthis diaphragm or barrier means 2|-|| and a similar space IS on theother side thereof.

Where the wall is to form an outside wall the space OS may be filledwith any suitable material indicated at M and that material may take theform of concrete which, upon setting, interlocks with the parts itcontacts with, including the arms |5-|6 and the dovetail members 20, orthat material may take the form of a heat-insulating medium like rockwool, mica pellets, or the like, or any other suitable or appropriatematerial. The space IS is preferably left free, particularly where,according to other features of my invention, it is desirable to utilizethe space, as is better set forth in my co-pending application SerialNo. 194,051, filed of even date herewith, for the handling of a coolingor heating medium, such as air, in which case the wall surfacing H ispreferably of good heat conducting characteristics, for thereby I maycirculate through the space IS hot air in the winter or cooled air inthe summer, thereby maintaining such a temperature difference betweenthe space IS and the room space that heat flows into the latter inwinter and out of the latter in the summer. Or the space IS may beutilized as a duct for the passage of such heating medium to the spaceor other parts of the building, and where the room or building space isto be air conditioned, thus to take care not only of temperature butalso humidity and also dehumidification, the space IS may be utilized,appropriate openings, registered, or the like, being provided in thewall surfacing I! for communication with the room or building interior.Or the space IS may remain sealed to form a dead air space, having alsoinsulating properties. Under some circumstances I may also wish to linethe sheet members 2| with or form them of a heat-insulating material; anillustrative lining is indicated at 22 and may comprise any suitablematerial, such as sheet fiber-board, asbestos composition, or the like,and similar linings may be provided for the column portions II, asindicated at 23. This is preferably where the material M takes the formof concrete. Where the wall structure is to function as an inside orpartition wall, either or both spaces OS and IS may be left void and theintervening sheet members 2| omitted, if desired, or either or both ofsaid spaces may be filled with the material M which in such casepreferably takes the form of any suitable sound insulating material ormedium. It is to be understood, however, that the parts I1 and I8 ofFigure 1, in carrying out my present invention, may take any suitable orappropriate form; thus, the part l8, where it is to be the external wallsurfacing, may take the form of tile, brick, stucco, or any otherappropriate material, and the part I! may take the form of any suitablematerial to constitute an appropriate inside wall surfacing where it isto function as such, including lathing and plaster, all as described inmy co-pending ap plication filed of even date herewith.

The above-described features of my present invention may, as alreadyindicated, be carried out in various other forms, several of which are,by way of illustration, shown in Figures 2-5. Thus, turning to Figure 2,the outside wall surfacing is indicated at l8 and the inside wallsurfacing at I! and spaced appropriately therebetween are sheet metalcolumn members generally indicated by the reference character C,preferably made up of sheet metal and provided with appropriate endflanges 21-28 to give them a substantially channel-like cross-sectionfor column action and resistance against bending. The main webs 29thereof are rolled or bent to form two adjacent ribs 30 and 3 I, thusincreasing the rigidity but also providing in each column member C avertically extending channel A opening to one side of the web 29 andanother channel A opening to the other side of the web 29. Thus, twosuccessive column-like core and spacer elements C present toward eachother two channels .A -A into which are received the opposed edges ofthe sheet member 2| in the manner described above in connection withFigure 1, the member 2| being of heat insulation material or lined witha sheet of the latter, as at 22. Thus, the sheet members 2| in coactionwith the ribbed intermediate portions of the members C form a continuousintermediate diaphragm or barrier portion providing again two spaces OSand IS which may be utilized and treated as above described in referenceto Figure 1.

Where the parts |'||8 are of prefabricated or prepared sheet materialsor members, the wall may be made up of completed sections or unitscomprising, as is the case with Figure 1, inner and outer sheet members|'|-|8 and intermediate core and spacer members connected thereto,

with the diaphragm sheet members 2| horizontally interposed between thelatter; the dovetail connections Iii-2B of Figure 1 facilitate assemblyof the parts to make up such a wall unit or section, while with theconstruction of Figure 2 the flanges 21-28 are utilized to secure thesheet members l1-IB thereto in any suitable manner.

According to other features of my invention, however, I provide for arapid and speedy edge to edge interconnection of such units which may beof any appropriate size suitable for economic fabrication and speedy andeconomic installation. Thus, a unit may be three or four feet wide andwhere it is to form a vertical wall may be of a length about the same asthe floor to ceiling dimension. For interconnecting adjacent units, theleft-hand end column and spacer member C of one unit has its flanges 21and 28 flanged over as at 33-34, substantially at an acute angle to theplane of the flanges 21-28, respectively, forming thus a ratchet-likecam or hook mem her. The right-hand end column pacer member of theadjacent unit has its flanges 27-48 bent into the hook-like shapes shownat 35 and 36 in Figure 2. Accordingly, in assembling adjacent units,they are simply forced edge toedge, the hook-shaped parts 35-36successively or simultaneously flexing or yielding under the cammingaction of the parts 3334, respectively, ultimately snapping over thelatter under the springiness of the sheet metal employed, and thussecurely alining and connecting together adjacent units. If desired, andduring this same action, a sheet member 2 l may be seated in thevertical channels fe -A preferably by seating it first to o e, its otheredge enteri g i o th t e in process of assembly.

As above indicated, the sheet members lflwlil may be secured in anysuitable way to the flanges 21 and 28 where one o b t o t r s is ofmetal or wire lathing, spot welding may be employed tosecureit totheseflanges, and like- .wise where either or both ofthe members I'l l8:are of sheet metal. .The column core members C may also be ofsufficiently light sheet metalto permit members Il-.-l8, or either ofthem, to be wire stitched or stapledthereto, or other means .may beemployed.

Where it desired that either space OS or IS be continuous throughout theextent of the W l that is, not interrupted by the .sh eetmetal' of thespacer column members C, the webs 29 may. be

.- suitably. apertured, as indicated at 3! readily to embodiment in theform above described in Figure 2, for effecting interconnection or forformation to receive the diaphragm sheet members 2|, I may proceed asshown in Figured, providing the webs 40 with longitudinally extendringsheet metal members 4 I, one oneach side and :secured thereto as. byspot welding, these members 4| being preferably of a length the samev asthe length of the webs D and being bent up or channeled .as shown, thusagain to provide in 1' adjacent core columns vertically extendingchannels A and A facing toward each other for the reception of thesheetmember 21 which, if made of sheet metal, may have associated withit a sheet member 22 of a heat insulating medium,

.likewise received'in the channels A -A In assembling the wall part .18to themembers'D wherethe former take the form of sheet members, I maysecure to them in any suitable manner sheet metal strips 43 extendingvertically and shaped as shown to provide a flange portion 414 spacedfrom the inside plane of the member l8. At the right-hand end, however,of each sheet 18 and on the inside face thereof, I provide a similarmetal strip 43 with a spaced flange part 44, but it is secured so as toface toward the right instead of toward the left. To the end web 15 ofthe members D I secure elongated sheet metal members dfi, preferablybent or flanged around the web 45 and secured as by spot Welding, anddimensioned to be snugly received in the space between the inside faceof the member 118 and the flange 44 of the securing member but themember 46 has an inwardly bent extension 46 over which engages the partAl ithat faces to the right, of the next to the last sheet member l8.Preferably, the interengagcment of these parts is substantiallypermanent like the interlocking of the parts 33 and 35 of Figure 2; forthat purpose the inside flange extension it terminates short of the web40 of the member D while the flange part 44 is beaded o r bent over, asat 44 to take over the end edge of the part lfik the 'spring'iness ofthe material permitting suflicient yielding of the part 14 to take placeto snap or spring the hook-like part W over the abutment-like edge ofthe part 46* In similar way, the part Mi is sharply flanged as at 46 toform a hook-like part over which the flange or hook part 44 of the part64 snaps. Thus the parts are dependably interlocked. The members 43 maybe made up of such material or weight of sheet metal to facilitate theuse of any suitable or desired method of securing them to the sheetmembersiik.

The opposite end webs -48 of the channelsh'ap'ed members D may have the,wallportion I1 secured thereto in any suitable way and where theportion Ii takes the form of certain kinds of sheet material, I mayrelate to the web 48 longitudinally extending sheet metal members 49,shaped as shown in Figure 3, and bent up to provide a recessor seat J89to receive the edge of the web lilwhich is held therein by the spring"action ofthe part :49.due to the tensioning thereof by having theportion 49' thereof strained or stressed against the leftehand face ofthe web 40, the sheet metal parts 49 providing longitudinally extendingchannels 49 and 59 in opposed pairs of which the sheet members ll areedgewise received, being, if desired, initially bowed andqhence sprunginto position.

The spaces OS and IS of the structure of Figure 3. may, .Of course, betreated as was above described in connection with Figure 1.

Under certain circumstances it maybefound desirable to construct thewall or like section in, a manner like that shown in Figure 4-,particularly where sheet form of building materials can be ,or aredesired to be utilized. Forfpurposes of illustration, let the part 18 ofFigure 4 represent one such sheet member and the part II the other,intended to form the, or. parts of, inside or outside wall surfacings.With the arrangement of Figure 4, the two opposed sheet members ll and[8 are, when assembled, preferably staggered so as to bring the junctionindicated at J1 between adjacent edges of two sheet members if! oppositean intermediate portion of an opposed sheet member ll, and to bring thejunction indicated at J? between two adjacent sheetmembersl'l oppositean intermediate part or portion of an opposed sheet member l8. Thecontiguous faces of the sheet members I1 and I8 are provided with orhave secured thereto in any suitable manner, as by wire stitching orstapling, indicated generally at S, spacing and securing core-like partswhich are preferably of sheet metal which may be relatively light andwhich preferably has some springiness or is given an appropriateresiliency at appropriate parts by suitably conforming it. These sheetmetal parts may be of any desirable extent or length and preferably andillustratively they are of a length commensurate with that dimension ofthe sheet members along which they extend. These metal memberspreferably have the same coactions but preferably and to achieve certainadvantages later mentioned, are made up in three specifically differentforms indicated, respectively, by the reference characters E, F and G.

Thus, suitably spaced and extending lengthwise of one of the sheets,like sheet l8, and intermediate the longitudinal edges thereof, is asuitable number of members G; each member G is of sheet metal formed orrolled to provide two preferably parallel parts 50, 5|, flanged as at52, 53, the latter resting flat against the sheet l8 and secured theretoin any suitable way. The intermediate portion of member G and whichjoins the parts 50-5| is rolled or formed to give it the shape shownwhereby there is a 1ongitudinally extending channel 54 approximating acircular cross-section but having a neck portion 55 that is narrowerthan the inside width of the channel portion 54; the sheet metal isshaped to form a trough-like entry to the neck portion 55, as byrounding the sheet metal as at 56 and 51, gradually merging it into theparts 5fl-5| but at the junction thereof providing in each part alongitudinal groove or channel, as at A in the part 50 and A in the part5|. Because of the conformation of the sheet metal, the narrow neckportion 55 is springy and may yield resiliently in the direction ofwidening it.

The member F is positioned along that portion of the sheet member l8opposite to which the junction J is to come and it is constructed likethe member G above described being provided with three yieldablechannels or recesses 54 54 and 54.

The sheet member I! has secured to it a member F and it extendslengthwise thereof but opposite the place where the junction J betweentwo opposed sheets l8, I8 is to come, and opposite the members G, G onsheet member [8, the member I1 is provided with members E, E, also ofsheet metal and constructed generally like the members G excepting that,instead of being formed to provide a longitudinally extending recess 54with a narrow neck, the sheet metal is formed to provide alongitudinally extending head 58 preferably somewhat wedge-shaped sothat it can wedge itself through the narrow neck 55 by causing the wallsthereof to yield, as abovementioned, whence it is narrowed incross-section, as at 58 and preferably also shaped to conform to thecurvatures of the parts 565'| which thereby preferably interfittherewith and yieldably but securely grip the head-like part 58. At theadjacent end portions of the sheets l1, l1 and l8, l8 are secured andmounted the members E they are substantially similar in construction tothe members E excepting that one of the flanges thereof, namely, flange59, is shaped as shown in Figure 4 to form a longitudinally extendingseat to receive the end or edge portion of the sheet member.

The component parts of the wall structure may thus be prefabricated andthe sheet members I! and I8 provided with the core and connectingmembers E, F, G and E Arrived on the job, the wall structure may beassembled in a manner that will now be clear, by forcing opposed sheetmembers flatwise toward each other to cause each head-like member 58 ofa part E to be forced and sprung into the recess 54 of an opposed memberG, but the longitudinally extending head portion 58 of one part Ebecomes seated in the resilient channel 54 of a member F, thus anchoringthe end portion of one sheet to an intermediate portion of the oppositesheet, while the end portion of the next adjacent sheet member, alsoprovided with a member E has its headed part 58 forced into theresilient channel 54 of the same part F, thus anchoring that end of theadjacent sheet E to an intermediate portion of the opposite sheetmember.

By the structure just described, the various sheet metal members will beseen to provide pairs of longitudinally extending channels A and A intowhich may be received the opposed edges of sheet members 2| which may ormay not have associated with them sheet insulating material 22. Themembers 2| with the column-like sheet metal core and connector elementsagain divide the space between the spaced sheets |'I-|8 into an outerspace OS and an inner space IS, and if these spaces are desired to beunbroken by the parts 505| of the members E, F, G and E the latter maybe apertured at appropriate intervals and either or both of the spacesOS and IS may be treated in the manner above-described in detail inconnection with the previous figures.

Certain of the advantages of the construction of Figure 4 may beachieved by appropriately modifying the construction of Figure 2 abovedescribed, as indicated in Figure 5 where the members C of Figure 2 areshown but made up in two parts C and C as if the webs 29 of the parts Cof Figure 2 were cut in two throughout their length but to one side ofthe ribbed parts 30 and 3| which not only strengthen the members butalso provide the diaphragm or barrierreceiving channels A A Preferably,in Figure 5, the two parts C and C are made up separately, as by rollingand forming out of suitably heavy sheet metal, but the webs of the twoparts are provided with bent flanges shaped the same and given the samedesignations as the parts 33 and 35 of Figure 2.

Accordingly, one half portion of the wall structure, comprising thesheet material l8 with the parts C secured thereto may be set up and thesheet members 2| related edgewise to the opposed channel recesses A Awhence the sheet material I? with the members C secured thereto and.spaced commensurately with the spacing of the members C may be set andforced flatwise toward the sheet material l8, the parts 33 camming thehook-shaped parts 35 into interhooking relationship with each other,thus completing the assembly of the wall structure.

Thus, again, two spaces OS and IS are provided by the action of thebarrier or diaphragm parts 2| etc., just as in Figure 2, and either orboth of these spaces may be treated in the manner described above inconnection with Figure 1.

Where the above-described structures are to function as vertical walls,the various columnlike members, such as the members H] of Figure 1, themembers C of Figure 2, the members D of Figure 3, the members E, F, Gand'E. of Figure 4, and the members C -C of Figure 5 may function astrue columns or load-supporting members, and the spacing thereof may beappropriately selected, if desired, with respect to the beams of theceiling or roof structure; the justidentified members may, however, alsofunction as beams where the wall structures are to be placed inhorizontal position to form, for example, ceiling, flooring, roofing, orthe like, particularly where the space OS is to be filled with concrete.In either case, it will be seen that the structures provide for wideflexibility of application and for a wide choice of materials to beassociated with them. The members "-48 may, as indicated above, compriseany appropriate building material, such as sheet metal, lathing,preferably metallic lathing, plaster, sheet materials like asbestoscomposition, fiber-board, socalled sheet-rock, plaster-board, maze-wood,sheet-stone, cement, tile, and the like.

Furthermore, it will be seen that the structural elements employed arecapable of inexpensive and rapid fabrication and of rapid andinexpensive assembly in the course of erection. Also, it will be seenthat the structures are of a thoroughly practical character and welladapted to meet the varying conditions of practical use. As manypossible embodiments may be made of the mechanical features of the aboveinvention and as the art herein described might be varied in variousparts, all without departing from the scope of the invention, it is tobe understood 1 that all matter hereinabove set forth, or shown in theaccompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

I claim:

1. In building construction, in combination, a plurality of spacedstructural supporting members having opposed edge faces respectivelyalined along two spaced planes, said members carrying wall surfacingmeans alined along said edge faces, said members having web-like meansintermediate of the opposed edge faces thereof, each of said supportingmembers having on each side thereof and extending lengthwise meanscoacting with said web-like means and forming a longitudinally extendingchannel, and means of sheet-like material bridged across betweenadjacent supporting members and having its opposed edges receivedrespectively in the channels of the two supporting members between whichit extends thereby to divide the space between the planes of saidopposed edge faces into two spaces, said channels holding saidsheet-like means at the edges thereof to resist thrusts from either ofthe two spaces.

2. A construction as claimed in claim 1 in which the web-like means ofthe supporting members extends in the general direction of saidsheet-like dividing means and in which the means forming said channelscomprises arm-like extensions from said web-like means for connecting tothe latter said edge faces, said arm-like extensions being at suchangles as to form therebetween said channel.

3. A construction as claimed in claim 1 in which said web-like meansextends in a plane generally at right angles to the general plane ofsaid sheet-like means and has the channels formed in said web-likemeans.

4. A construction as claimed in claim 1 in which said channel formingmeans comprises separate members shaped to provide channels, and meanssecuring said separate members respectively to the web-like means ofsaid supporting members.

5. A construction as claimed in claim 1 in which the web-like means ofsaid supporting members is in two parts, whereby each of said supportingmembers is a two-part member divided along a plane intermediate of thespaced planes of the opposed edge faces of said supporting members.

6. A construction as claimed in claim 1 in which the web-like means ofsaid supporting members is in two parts, whereby each of said supportingmembers is a two-part member divided along a plane intermediate of thespaced planes of the opposed edge faces of said supporting members,adjacent portions of the two-part weblike means of each supportingmember being provided with means for securing the two together.

7. A construction as claimed in claim 1 in which the web-like means ofsaid supporting members is in two parts, whereby each of said supportingmembers is a two-part member divided along a plane intermediate of thespaced planes of the opposed edge faces of said supporting members,adjacent portions of the two-part web-like means of each supportingmember being provided with interengageable portions for connecting andholding together the two parts of each supporting member.

8. A construction as claimed in claim 1 in which the web-like means ofsaid supporting members is in two parts, whereby each of said supportingmembers is a two-part member divided along a plane intermediate of thespaced planes of the opposed edge faces of said supporting members,adjacent portions of the two-part web-like means of each supportingmember being provided with complementary interengageable hook-shapedparts for connecting together the two parts of each supporting member.

9. A construction as claimed in claim 1 in which the web-like means ofsaid supporting members is in two parts, whereby each of said supportingmembers is a two-part member divided along a plane intermediate of thespaced planes of the opposed edge faces of said supportingmembersyadjacent portions of the two-part web-like means of eachsupporting member being provided with complementary interenga'geableyieldable members for connecting together the two parts of eachsupporting member.

10. A construction as claimed in claim 1 in. which the web-like means ofsaid supporting members is in two parts, whereby each of said supportingmembers is a two-part member divided along a plane intermediate of thespaced planes of the opposed edge faces of said supporting members,adjacent portions of the two-part web-like means of each supportingmember being provided with complementary recessed and headed members,the one receivable within the other, for connecting together the twoparts of the supporting member.

11. A construction as claimed in claim 1 in which the web-like means ofsaid supporting members is in two parts, whereby each of said supportingmembers is a two-part member divided along a plane intermediate of thespaced planes of the opposed edge faces of said supporting members,adjacent portions of the two-part web-- like means of each supportingmember being provided with complementary recessed and headed members,the one receivable within the other, for

connecting together the two parts of the supporting member, one of saidcomplementary parts being resiliently yieldable to permitinterengagement of one by the other upon the application of a certainforce.

12. In building construction, in combination, a plurality of spacedstructural supporting members having opposed edge means alined along twospaced planes for receiving and having secured thereto and respectivelyalong said two spaced planes suitable wall surfacing means, saidsupporting members having extending therealong and intermediate of saidtwo spaced planes means forming a longitudinally extending channel ineach member and facing toward the next supporting member, thereby topresent, for two successive spaced supporting members, a pair oflongitudinally extending channels with their open ends facing towardeach other, and means of sheet-like material bridged across betweenadjacent supporting members and having its opposed edges receivedrespectively in and supported by the two channels of said two members,the said channels holding said sheet-like means at the edges thereof toresist thrusts from either side of said sheet-like means.

13. A construction as claimed in claim 12 in which said means ofsheet-like material is in several layers, one of which is sheet-like inform and made of a relatively strong and self-sustaining material andthe other of which is made of a heat-insulating material relatively weakmechanically and receiving its mechanical support from saidfirst-mentioned layer.

BERNARD LONDON.

